Immediately after completing my last publisher’s column and getting the October edition to press and online, we concentrated on completing our move to the new location.

Prior to our press deadline we had only been moving smaller stuff in boxes, but then when it came to the larger furniture, it got very serious. We paid a visit to Budget and rented a cargo van first thing in the morning. And then came, hands down, the most grueling experience of my entire life. It was a solid 48 hours of loading, driving, unloading, and cleaning, with a reprieve of a mere 3 hours of sleep. Near the end of it I found myself in utter amazement that I was still functioning, that my body hadn’t given out from exhaustion after all the heavy lifting, leaps and bounds beyond any limit that I assumed I had. Even after it was all done, I had returned the cargo van and was driving home, I felt I could have probably kept going if I needed to. But no, we forced ourselves to settle down in our old bed, in our new bedroom, and take a much deserved rest.

It took several days after that to sort out the random arrangement of furniture that had accumulated in our haste to get everything done. With most of our possessions tucked away, the first few days felt like camping – minimal kitchen supplies, minimal toiletries, and a quickly diminishing supply of clean clothes. It was such a relief to finally find those boxes with the things we needed, and to slowly start getting our lives back in order again.

For the first few days we had to keep the cats locked up in the downstairs bathroom while we removed some of the dangers to them, like fiberglass, screws, and precariously balanced objects. By the time we were able to let them out, they were so cramped and stir crazy that this big new world was a welcome change for them. Getting used to the stairs went a lot more smoothly than I anticipated, and soon it seemed like they didn’t particularly miss their old locale at all.

We returned one last time to the condo to complete our cleaning obligations, and it felt so surreal seeing the place completely empty; the carpet still showed perfectly where our furniture had been. Several times I found myself looking around with mixed feelings, like I didn’t want to forget the many memories from living there, but I was glad to be moving on. While I had been living with Steve in that Condo for the past 6 years, Steve calculated that he had been living in that suite for a total of 12, and in the building for 15. It was difficult to leave that much history behind.

With the car at our disposal, the two of us getting up to Edmonton has been a lot easier, and cheaper. However the weekend that we popped up for the ISCWR Investitures and headed back to Calgary the same night, we did run into a bit of a scare. No, it wasn’t me falling asleep behind the wheel, it was the car ahead of us on the highway that did. Out of nowhere I saw headlights pointing toward us on our side of the divided highway, and we quickly pulled over to find a completely mangled van that appeared to have rolled several times. Half of the nearby exit sign was missing, about a meter and a half off the ground. I ran to see if anyone was hurt, to find the vehicle completely empty. When I called out to try and locate the driver, he came out of the ditch insisting he was unharmed (aside from a couple of minor cuts on his face that he didn’t appear to notice). The vehicle could not be pushed off the road, as one of the tires was pinched by the chassis. We spent about an hour there, alerting the authorities, ensuring other cars passed by safely, keeping the driver from freezing without a coat, and giving a statement to the RCMP when they arrived.

Aside from our little scare, we’re quite happy that the three hour trips between Calgary and Edmonton are not such a waste of time anymore. Having a power connection in the car is a big advantage over the lack thereof on the Greyhound. Being the tech geeks that we are, Steve has managed to rig his cell phone to act as a wireless hub so that his laptop can maintain a stable internet connection while we are on the road. He’s able to get work done, and I’m perfectly happy as long as he’s playing some music for me. Despite the stereo in our second-hand car being hopelessly damaged, we managed to rig some computer speakers to work quite nicely in its place. So in our typical annoyingly resourceful, Macgyver-esque fashion, we’re set to go!

Halloween H1N1

In all the commotion of moving and driving, we had fallen behind on watching the local news, and knew nothing of the brouhaha surrounding H1N1, and the vaccinations that were being made available in select locations. I showed up on a Monday evening at the clinic at the old Children’s Hospital site (literally across the street from us) looking to get my seasonal flu vaccination, only to be told the lines were so long for the H1N1 vaccine that they had closed the clinic early. As a Diabetic I am considered a high risk group, so I felt compelled to commit to getting this done despite the warning of a long wait. I tried again the next morning and followed the lineup as it wound down multiple hallways. Several people were carrying their lunches and water bottles, a few even had their collapsible lawn chairs. People had come with their kids, and were trying to keep the little ones entertained and out of trouble. It felt almost like a procession of refugees from a disaster movie.

In the first 45 minutes I moved no more than 5 meters. By that time, staff had come by to give everyone ticket numbers and fill out the necessary forms. Knowing that with my ticket I would be served in order regardless of my presence in the lineup (so long as I didn’t miss my ticket being called), I popped home for lunch, and then back to the clinic just in time for my turn. I had started in line at 11am I exited the clinic, after having my vaccination, at 2pm. I found out a few days afterward that I had been lucky: first to have avoided a six hour wait, then to have gotten the vaccination at all.

I suppose I shouldn’t complain, but I was told that the seasonal vaccines were put completely on hold for the H1N1 vaccines. So now that the H1N1 vaccinations are at a standstill, why are the seasonal vaccines not resuming in the meantime? As nice as it is to be safe from the big bad swine flu (or not), the plain old flu is much more common, and still poses a danger to many Albertans.

6th Anniversary Edition

We have a pretty amazing edition for you this month, as you probably gathered from our cover. Dolly is probably the biggest star that we’ve interviewed yet!

We also have a large number of prize giveaways this month, including copies of Dolly Parton’s new album/DVD Live in London, so watch for them online. Incidentally, I’m told there are people who would kill for these, so don’t be surprised if there is a lot of competition.

Looking back over the six years, we have a lot of people to thank for helping us to keep going strong after all this time. Our writers and contributors have worked particularly hard in recent times to ensure the magazine continues to provide articles that are entertaining and informative. As editor, I know they are doing this job well when they make my head ache from the amount of interesting information I take in while proofing their articles in rapid succession. Jason, who has been with us from the beginning, goes beyond just writing - the inroads he makes while pursuing his articles open new doors for this magazine; Evan Kayne distinguishes himself with his thought-provoking articles on tough community matters; Stephen Lock continues to provide valuable perspective on political topics; Mercedes continues to challenge us to open our minds and realize that trans issue affect all of us too. I watch our junior writers grow on a monthly basis with the experience and feedback they receive, and it’s always such a pleasure to notice when they make a breakthrough. And then there are so many others whose contributions range from articles to photos, and information to transportation.

Our advertisers provide the funding that we need to continue printing the magazine, and make it possible for us to remain independently owned and self sustaining. Without the need for external investors or government funding, GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine is able to decide its own direction. So not only do we thank advertisers for choosing us, but we continue to seek new and innovative ways to make a difference in the community that benefits everyone.

We thank our community partners – those who we work alongside symbiotically to reach new people, and with whom we find new opportunities for collaboration that keeps us involved, informed, and in touch.

Finally, we thank our readers, who continue to encourage us with your comments, and amaze us with your sheer numbers. Last year our online readership climbed from 90,000 downloads to over 125,000, and continues to expand, encompassing people from all over Canada, and indeed, the world! We know we are doing something unique when people from outside of Alberta still take a regular interest in our magazine.

This Month

It’s become a tradition every anniversary month, for us to have a table at the Taboo Sex Shows in Calgary and Edmonton, and this year is no exception. Come and visit us while checking out the hot strippers, drag queens, and unique adult-oriented wares. Once again, we have partnered with the ISCCA and ISCWR to make our booth a fundraising opportunity for them. Calgary’s show will be a whole day longer, starting on a Thursday and going through until Sunday.

Many other businesses are celebrating their anniversaries this month. For instance, Boots will be turning 31. The Texas Lounge has their anniversary this month, but has decided to push celebrations to a later month so as to not compete with others.

Last Month

• The Calgary Eagle held their “To Sirs with Lust” leather demonstration. Thankfully there was no real blood this time, so I was able to watch. In fact, there were some pretty hot scenes that leather enthusiasts enacted on stage for the audience. Mister Leather Sir winner, Johnathan Finlayson, and Leather Boy winner, boy David, got some practice for the international competition. Just before press, we received a text message to inform us that Johnathan won 3rd place internationally, while David won 4th. Not bad guys, and I’m sure you did Calgary proud!

• The Texas Lounge is getting into the swing of hosting Drag Shows at their venue, with two last month. This little bar is showing just how versatile it can be, despite the tight space. Similarly, Goliaths is also continuing to host special events, with a jockstrap themed men-only dance coming up this month. See their ad for more details.

• The Backlot was packed to the rafters, on a Wednesday no less, for their 11th Anniversary party. Owner Ken Schultz could be found celebrating amongst many loyal patrons, as were his mom and dad.

• Boots hosted the Bi-monthly BEEF Bearbash, which continues to draw a strong crowd for the Edmonton bar. Maybe it was the cold weather, but there seemed to be a lot more mischief going on than what I recall from previous events.

• Our writer Jason strongly suggested that we come out to experience a Ghost Tour this year, and indeed it was a lot of fun, especially since Jason was our tour guide! He took a small group of us around the Inglewood area to explain the ghost stories behind many of the more interesting buildings in the area, but unfortunately as actual paranormal activity goes, it was a pretty calm night. As I’m told, this is rarely the case.

• AIDS Calgary hosted the GLBT-A conference, a day long series of presentations focusing on strategies to promote philanthropy and community giving, for businesses and non-profit groups.

• Pride Calgary Planning Committee held their first Annual General Meeting and for once received kudos from the community on a job well done, even from former opponents. While official copies of the financials are still forthcoming, the treasurer declared significant profits thanks to the cost-saving support they received from their sponsors. In light of past AGMs under the former Pride Calgary organization, the meeting was moderated as a precaution. Virtually all of last year’s board returned for another year, with a few new faces stepped up. The new board is determined to see the organization grow stronger and better this coming year, and plans to continue having Calgary Pride on the September long weekend.